Transportation system



April 20 l1926. 1,581,745

W. P. KEI-LETT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM Filed Dec. 26, 1924 ffl [lvl/2172011 ma@ 5x22; (M

Patentes Apr. 2o, 192e.'

UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFICE..

WILLIAM PLATTS ELLETT, 0F BRANTFORD, ONTARIO, CANADA.

TRANSPORTATIQN SYSTEM.

Application led December 26, 1924. Serial No. 758,154. i

` To all whom. t may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PLA'r'rs KEL- Ln'r'r, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, and resident of the cityy of Brantord, county of Brant, Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in a Transportation System, as described in the following specification, and illustrated in the l0 accompanymg drawings, that form part of the same.

The principal objects of the invention are to effect a savin in cost and time in the transportation 0g goods from one city or town to another and to minimize the damage to goods through handling and further to devise a system which will not interfere with normal handling of eneral package freight. l A still further obJect is to preserve long distance haulage of freight for railroads which has become largely diverted by motor Y trucks to the highways'and thereby e'ecting an increase in railway freight traffic and a better distribution of overhead.

A further object is to obviate the damagv ing of expensive highways by removing heavy hauling therefrom.

The principal features of the inventionconsist 1n provlding a system whereby standard motor trucks and trailers may be utilized for collecting and delivering goods and l railroad cars capable of receiving and transshipping said vehicles are provided toconvey them over the long distance haul from point to point, said cars being provided with means forming continuous trackways for said vehicles.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an eleva-t tional view of a portion of a train of railway cars carrying transfer vehicles coupled to a loading ramp.

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan of the meeting ends of a pair of railway cars.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one end of a railway car.

The systemherein pro osed is extremely simple but'will be found) very efectivein directing the haula e of heavy loads over rail systems at a re uced' cost than over expensively constructed highways at very. high cost.

The system consists in first providing a proper ty e of railway car which will enable the use ofp standard motor vehicles and trailers. The car proposed is a standard flat car 1 to the deck 2 of which are secured a pair of parallelly arranged longitudinal guides the wheels 0f the transfer vehicles which are to be driven on to the deck of the car but will allow perfect freedom of movement.

At the ends of the cars are arranged the slidable extension members 4 operating in suitable horizontal guides. These extension members of adjacent cars meetand form a trackway bridging the space between the cars. Suitable side guides 5 are provided on ythe extension members 4 Jto ensure the direct travel of the vehicle wheels in `mov ing across the intersections of the cars Longitudinally arranged T bars 6 secured to the car deck are rovided with holes 7 into which are inserted) the hook ends of suitable spring braces 8 for holding the vehicles in position on the car such braces extending fore and aft of the axle or frame of the vehicle to brace it securely.

Ram s 9 are provided at terminal points clear of) the ordinary trafc which have sloping approaches to the level of the car deck and guides 10 to direct the transfer vehi,

cles on to the cars.

In carrying out this system, standard motor trucks or tractors and trailers are used to pick u/p goods from warehouses and other places of shipment going to some particular distant city or town, and when loaded the vehicles carrying the goods are driven on to the prepared flat car train scheduled for a articular destination. In large centres in ividual cars or groups of cars may'f be loaded for certain points to be-carried 'by certain trains and these can then be assembled and afterward cutout in the usual manner of railway practice with cars for speccial destinations.

When the train is made up it carries its loaded vehicles to a destination /where it is coupled to a ramp and the vehicles are merely driven oll and go about their delivery, the

long haul having been made without wear and tear on the vehicles and without the expense of van attendant, as local drivers will operate the power vehicles at their destinations.

In carrying out a transportation system sheds at either terminal thereby effecting `the transfer in the quickest possible time and preserving the goods against breakage through handling.

It will also be understood that with the use of such a system the railroad equipment will not be tied up for lack of facility .to unload and will be immediately available after arriving at its destination as unloading is practically instantaneous;

What I claim as my invention is 1. A transportation system, comprising the use of standard roadway transfer vehif cles for collecting and delivering. goods and providing railway trains to receive and 4trans-ship said vehicles over long distance hauls from point "to Apoint, railway trains havng'permanently continuous track' ways and being rovided with means for ancoring the vehlc es in place thereon.

2. A trans rtation system, comprisingl th use of rai way flat cars havin longitudinal track-ways on the top thereoprovided with permanent telescopic extensionsorming iexible continuous ways from car to car,

ramps being arranged at terminals to interlock with the cars and to form a continuation of the track-Ways on the car,l and standard roadway vehicles'adapted toA collect and -deliver goods being transported from point to point by said cars in trains.

WILLIAM P LafmslKELLETfr.l 

